Harper's First Veggie!

Harper tried sweet potatoes for the first time this week! She had been gobbling up her oatmeal so we figured she was ready to begin eating a vegetable.Thanks to the Baby Bullet (compliments of Grandma Ruth), we were able to make Harper's first dish.

Harper shuddered when she first tasted the sweet potato - it was very different than anything she has experienced thus far. After the initial shock wore off, Harper began to move it around in her mouth and decided it was delicious. Soon we couldn't feed it to her fast enough. Although the sweet potato is tastier than formula, the downside is that it isn't a constant flow. Soon she was chattering at us in between every bite and grabbing the spoon to lick it clean and shove it back in her mouth. She finished off the entire jar on the first night! On day two, we wanted to increase the amount of food without increasing the amount of veggies, so we mixed in a bowl of oatmeal with the sweet potato....and she cleaned that bowl, too! She can get a little messy since she likes to help feed herself, but so far we don't mind - it's just so exciting for us to see our little girl eating food!

Tummy Time

Harper recently decided that tummy time isn't all bad. She used to HATE to spend time on her stomach. She had excellent neck control and could sit for extended periods of time in her bumbo, but disliked spending any time on her stomach. In the last few weeks, she's accepted tummy time as a part of daily life. She will spend up to 20 minutes at a time on her stomach. Sometimes she plays and sometimes she watches what is going on around her. She spend a good chunk of time watching Riley chew a bone one night - it was a very interesting event to Harper. Sometimes she will roll over on her own when she has had enough, but other times she is too tired and forgets how to roll onto her back so we need to help her.

Cousin Photo - March 2012

Of course we had to get another photo of Harper and Reid at the March Wii Party. Both kids are growing like weeds. Reid is already rolling (much to Stephanie's horror) while Harper prefers to whine and get picked up if she needs a change of scenery. It won't be long until these two kiddos are on the move around the house!

School Pictures

It was recently picture day at Loving Arms Children's Center and Preschool - and no classroom was left out of the excitement. In the group shot, Harper is sitting on Ms. Ann's lap. Ann is the main leader in the room who has been with the Center for nearly 20 years. Believe it or not, Ms. Ann is 78 years old! Also pictured are Ms. Ruth (who works in Harper's room) and Ms. Debi, the Assistant Director. Unfortunately the afternoon girls (who Harper also adores) couldn't make it for the group photo. Although all the kids in her class looked adorable, I was told that Harper was voted "Best Dressed." Although class pictures are a little silly for infants, I'm happy to have a photo of Harper and her daycare providers who are taking such great care of her!

5 Months Old!

Harper turned 5 months old on Monday, March 19th. Harper has grown so much in the past months. She is continuing to have more happy days at daycare and at home. She loves to be tossed into the air by daddy and will flash a big smile whenever he lifts her up. She is still learning to roll over - she can do it, but sometimes forgets which hand goes up by her head and/or which way to lean.

Harper is becoming more aware of her hands and mouth...and her hands are frequently in her mouth. Toys are a lot of fun to taste, but her fingers are still her favorite thing. She has been eating around 6 oz at a time. When she is full, she likes to play with her bottle and will firmly grasp it and pull to her mouth and then back out. Sometimes she misses her mouth and her face ends up dotted with formula. She is also becoming a pro with oatmeal - she can chew/gum and swallow it on a regular basis so it won't be long until our little angel tries vegetables!

Sideways

The instructions that come with all infant swings tell you to always strap your baby in the seat. Until recently we didn't follow the directions. One Saturday morning, Harper went back to sleep after her 5 AM bottle. I put her in her swing because she will often happily doze there on the weekends. At 7 we heard her wake up and start chattering so we came out to start the day....and found that she had turned 90% in the seat! We've been much more diligent about strapping her in the swing since that morning.

Smiley

Harper has gotten very smiley during the past few weeks. She will smile when you get her up in the morning. She will smile at you when you change her diaper. She will smile when the puppy walks by her. She will smile when someone new comes into the room. Harper will smile when you talk to her and sometimes talk gibberish right back. Ross and I have never seen such a gorgeous smile - once she flashes it, your heart  will melt!